B/S always seem to go all dramatic to cover up their technical deficiencies. That hasn't worked for them so far and isn't likely to work for them in the future, especially if other teams are working on improving themselves technically instead of choreographing coverups.

B/S always seem to go all dramatic to cover up their technical deficiencies. That hasn't worked for them so far and isn't likely to work for them in the future, especially if other teams are working on improving themselves technically instead of choreographing coverups.

Who knows maybe the disappointment of last season will light a fire in them.

There's something about Bobrova and Soloviev that doesn't sit right with me. A couple years ago there was a Skate America practice video with Davis and White, Bobrova and soloviev and a couple others on the ice. Davis and White's music was playing and so it was there chance to have command of center ice. That's the rule. Right before Charlie lifted Meryl upside down for one of those difficult one legged super-hard balance moves, Bobrova and Soloviev cur right in front of them and, luckily, Charlie saw it and aborted the lift. It was super scary. This video has been since taken down. So, ok, maybe an accident but since then I've watched Soloviev's demeanor and there seems to me an edge, an arrogance that I'm, not liking. I'm sure his fans will disagree and say it was just an accident and it happens all the time. We'll see...

B/S always seem to go all dramatic to cover up their technical deficiencies. That hasn't worked for them so far and isn't likely to work for them in the future, especially if other teams are working on improving themselves technically instead of choreographing coverups.

Given the retirements, they are currently the de facto #1 team in the World.

That's a depressing thought, given their technical deficiencies. Two years ago they actually made technical progress (at least they weren't hunched over nearly as much), but last year, it seems they prioritized speed and Uber!Drama! and seemed to have lost any gains they made in clean technique. That's depressing.

On the other hand, I don't see them maintaining their position for long. I just don't.

Given the retirements, they are currently the de facto #1 team in the World.

That's a depressing thought, given their technical deficiencies. Two years ago they actually made technical progress (at least they weren't hunched over nearly as much), but last year, it seems they prioritized speed and Uber!Drama! and seemed to have lost any gains they made in clean technique. That's depressing.

On the other hand, I don't see them maintaining their position for long. I just don't.

Sorry? Bobrova & Soloviev’s technical deficiencies? Which one? Kids have one of the best skating skills, right now they and I&K&S&Z (in any order you want) are skaters with the best skating skills from all current teams competing. I don’t imagine other people except Virtue & Moir who would be able to skate clean B&S this year’s SD and FD, but I can imagine B&S skating technically clean all this years programs except Virtue & Moir‘s programs.

Bobrova’s upper body position is wrong and should be corrected….the same way Evan Bates and Andrew Poje and Elena Ilinykh‘s work of free leg should be corrected…the same way “out of the rhythm“ issues by some skaters should be corrected…the same way poor edges by Evan Bates should be corrected…etc. Simply all couple should work on themselves, there is still place for an improvement. But frankly B&S’s technicial difficulties – that it a funny thing. If you take lost level in twizzles at the Olympics like technical error, OK, but they are not the only ones with twizzle‘s problems (Katsalapov is fighting in a very similar way with twizzles, but he usually gots level 4 no matter what).

I think we will find that a lot of teams have twizzle problems this year, given that there are new requirements to achieve level four. It will be interesting and perhaps a bit heart-breaking to watch.

Yes, I must say that I worry what we will see. Not in terms of mistakes, but in terms of injuries. For example the twizzles with the head bend backward - I find it very dangerous especially in time when the couple will be very nervous during important competition, loose concentration and fall without an orientation in space thanks to head bend backward.

There's something about Bobrova and Soloviev that doesn't sit right with me. A couple years ago there was a Skate America practice video with Davis and White, Bobrova and soloviev and a couple others on the ice. Davis and White's music was playing and so it was there chance to have command of center ice. That's the rule. Right before Charlie lifted Meryl upside down for one of those difficult one legged super-hard balance moves, Bobrova and Soloviev cur right in front of them and, luckily, Charlie saw it and aborted the lift. It was super scary. This video has been since taken down. So, ok, maybe an accident but since then I've watched Soloviev's demeanor and there seems to me an edge, an arrogance that I'm, not liking. I'm sure his fans will disagree and say it was just an accident and it happens all the time. We'll see...

I don’t want to look that skaters (especially dancers) are a group of close friends without any rivalry inside, that was never true. But there are certain borders which they simply don’t cross over.

Rule about avoiding the couple who skates the program during practise or overall avoiding an accidents at practise / warm-ups…yes, all dancers try to do it. And they all fail time to time.

You must take into account some things…
1) all dancers are not from one ring, so they don’t know whole choreography of their rivals (in which part lift, twizzles, steps are planned)…
2) all dancers skate just some parts of the programs and for the rest of time they are just moving hand in hand across the ice, so other couples are skating closer to them taking place for their elements…
3) it is sometimes really hard to guess in what direction the choreography and skating couple goes…
4) there are coaches of all couples who are starting to scream immediately when couples get too close, but sometimes even they don’t notice the danger or they notice it too late…
5) you can notice at every practise that all couples are interupting elements many times because they must avoid a crash with another couple…

If really Bobrova & Soloviev didn’t pay attention to Davis & White or if they simply expected that the couple is not skating right now / skating into another direction / or they simply didn’t see them…I don’t know. But I refuse to think that this behaviour could be on purpose.

There is one thing which you don’t take into account, slider11.
The injuries. Very often if two couples crash there are injured people on both sides. I don’t believe that some dancers would be so stupid to try to arrange a crash knowing that they could be injured as well.

Do you remember Nora Hoffmann and Japanese lady Watanabe’s crash at 2006 World Champs during FD warm-up? Nora was cut into elbow and bleeding, she was also hit by Watanabe into her back, which caused a back injury – Nora almost withdrew and finished her FD in tears.

Or for example Sinitsina & Zhiganshin executed twizzles at Cup of Russia 2012 FD practise while I&K skated towards them (you can imagine how safe Vika and Ruslan felt when they rotated twizzles and by tail of their eyes saw another couple who was skating against them).
The same Sinitsina & Zhiganshin were “attacked“ by Papadakis & Cizeron at 2012 Junior World FD warm-up, while Vika and Ruslan couldn’t see Gabriella and Guillaume, the French were skating and looking at direction of Russians and almost crashed into them.
I don’t think that those almost accidents happened by purpose, why? Nobody wants to be injured for the rest of the season.

To Soloviev arrogancy, I must say that some years ago I read somewhere that Katya Bobrova is more self confident person…but I never read it about Dima. But arrogancy issue seems a little but funny…Katya was the only one who sold the car (which was a gift from Medvedev for Olympic Medal) and gave a part of the money for charity. And Dima was that one who tried to make calm screaming people who didn’t agree with marks after FD at the Olympics, because he wanted to allowed next competing ice dance couple to prepare and concentrate.

Yes, I must say that I worry what we will see. Not in terms of mistakes, but in terms of injuries. For example the twizzles with the head bend backward - I find it very dangerous especially in time when the couple will be very nervous during important competition, loose concentration and fall without an orientation in space thanks to head bend backward.

I hope no team will choose to use that head held backward option. I agree it is likely to prove dangerous.

And yes, teams try to avoid each other always, but there are often close calls. Everyone knows this, I hope.

None of the other skaters in the video got in the way of B&S when they were rehearsing segments of their program. The practice ice belongs to everyone. The only thing is, the team whose music is playing has the right of way. When you see them coming you are supposed to get out of their way so as to avoid collisions, as the other teams did in this video.

None of the other skaters in the video got in the way of B&S when they were rehearsing segments of their program. The practice ice belongs to everyone. The only thing is, the team whose music is playing has the right of way. When you see them coming you are supposed to get out of their way so as to avoid collisions, as the other teams did in this video.

But these teams were at the center of the rink! When B/S's music played!!! What about 'the rule'????? They were shamelessly breaking it!! Multiple times!!!
Sorry, just kidding. My point was that it happens all the time. Sometimes it's more serious, sometimes it's less. But NO ONE doing it on purpose. Did you see V/M's dangerous moves at 2:52 of the video? And Dima had his back to them, so he didn't even see them coming.

Sasha Cohen was famous for going around the rink in the opposite direction from everyone else during practices. This led to a lot of near misses which made some of the other skaters mad at her, including Michelle Kwan and Irina Slutskaya.

Sasha Cohen was famous for going around the rink in the opposite direction from everyone else during practices. This led to a lot of near misses which made some of the other skaters mad at her, including Michelle Kwan and Irina Slutskaya.

Huh, really? Now that's interesting! Wonder if Sasha was doing it as an intimidation factor (I assume she didn't want an actual collision), or if it was unintentional on her part? Lol, trying to imagine Michelle and Irina outright mad; I'm having a tough time.

I knew I would ruffle feathers. I appreciate that the SA incident I mentioned was not the only one and certainly B/S are not alone. Perhaps this is something that the ISU should "police" more carefully and call out skaters who have a propensity to do this during practices. This shouldn't be skaters and coaches giving each other dirty looks but an official body warning of frequent infractions. Definitely, both teams are vulnerable to injury in these situations but some have more to lose than others.